Two or more shuttle looms with automatic weft supply



Nov. 26, 1957 L. J. M. l. DEFRAITEUR Two 0R MORE SHUTTLE LooMs WITHAUTOMATIC WEFT'- SUPPLY Filed March 2v, 195e 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 26,1957 L. J. M. l. DEFRAlTl-:UR 2,814,316

Two 0R MORE SHUTTLE Looms WITH AUTOMATIC wEFT SUPPLY Filed March 27,1956 7 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Nov. 26, 1957 L. J. M. l. DEFRAITEUR 2,814,316

TWO 0R MORE SHUTTLE LOOM-S WITH AUTOMATIC WEF'T SUPPLY Filed March 27,1956 '7 Sheets-SheetA 3 Nov. 26, 1957 L.. J. M. 1. DEFRAlTl-:UR2,814,316

Two 0R MORE SHUTTLE LooMs WITH AUTOMATIC wEFT SUPPLY Filed March 27,1956 7 Sheets-Sheet A4:

F7620 54 Z f /QVMQLMJW MM Nov. 26, 1957 L.. J. M. l. DEFRAITEUR2,814,316

TWO OR MORE SHUTTLE LOOMS WITH AUTOMATIC WEFT SUPPLY Filed March 27,1956 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 26, 1957 1 ,.1. M. l. DEFRAITEUR 2,814,315

TWO 0R MORE SHUTTLE LOOMS WITH AUTOMATIC WEFT SUPPLY Filed Maron 27.195e 7 sheets-sheet e Nov. 26, 1957 L.. J. M. l. DEFRAITEUR 2,814,316

Two oR MORE SHUTTLE Looms WITH AUTOMATIC wEFT SUPPLY Filed Mgrcn' 2 7.195e '7 sheets-sheet 7 i United States Patent TWO 0R MORE SHUTTLE LOOMSWITH AUTO- MATIC WEFT SUPPLY Louis Joseph Marie Ida Defraiteur,Heusy-Ververs, Belgium, assignor to Ateliers Houget Societe AnonymeVervietoise pour la Construction de Machines, Verviers, BelgiumApplication March 27, 1956, Serial No. 574,225

Claims priority, application Belgium March 30, 1955 12 Claims. (Cl.139-232) The present invention relates to a two or more-shuttle loomwith automatic weft supply comprising two cop sensing devices, twocop-changing mechanisms and a set of two shuttle boxes mounted, withtheir driving members, on each side of the sley.

The main object of the invention is to effect the automatic changing ofthe cops, without stopping the loom, during weaving with two shuttlespick and pick, and for all the combinations of arrangemens of picks intwo or more colours, while still permitting the alternation of even andodd picks.

This loom is characterised primarily in that the boxes in each setplaced side by side are designed in such a manner as to comprise acharging compartment and one or more normal compartments and that thereis provided on each side of the loom at least one distributor membercontaining cops of a given colour with which the correspondingcop-changing mechanism co-operates in such a manner that when a sensingdevice has indicated the need for renewal, the replacement of the emptycop is effected when the shuttle associated with the yarn of the colourin use appears in the front compartment of the `shuttle box opposite thefeed orifice, said compart ment being in a position of alignment inrelation to the reed.

The loading compartment may be in front or behind the normal compartmentor compartments.

According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the-loom comprisesup to eight shuttles or more adapted to carry different colours andcomprises on each side of the sley a compound box having a casingforming a single front compartment sliding on guides rigidly connectedto the sley and carries at the back vertical slides in which is disposeda box comprising several compartments.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, two embodimentsof the invention will now be described by way of example with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, in side elevation of part of the sleyof a loom according to one embodiment of the invention, the sley beingin its front dead centre position.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view in plan, showing the relative positionsof the shuttle boxes, in Figure l.

Figure 3 shows diagrammatically, in side elevation, the position of theleft-hand shuttle boxes, in Figure l.

Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3 but shows to the righthand shuttleboxes.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 but shows, more diagrammatically,the position of the various members when the sets of shuttle boxes havechanged position, the sley again being in its forward dead centreposition.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are views respectively similar to Figures 2, 3 and 4but show the arrangement of Figure 5. e

Figure 9 is a detail view of the arrangement of the blocks in Figure l,seen from the front.

A a Patented Nov. 26,1957

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Figures 10 to 12 are diagrammatic views showing three differentpositions of the locking device.

Figure 13 is a `view similar to Figure 5 but shows the position of theparts when the detent device is in action.

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 9 but shows the` arrangement ofthe blocks shown in Figure 13.

Figures 15 and 16 are part diagrammatic and partplan views of theshuttles used.

Figure 17 is a diagram of the distances covered by the sets of boxes asa function of the time taken to cover them. i

Figures 18 and 19A are part diagrammatic and part elevational views of amodification showing mechanism for controlling'the horizontal movementsof the whole of the box and the vertical movements of the rearcompartments as well as that of the magazines at different stages ofoperation. l Figure` 20 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing theposition of the shuttle boxes in Figures 18 and 19A Figure 21 is a partdiagrammatic and part elevational view showing the mechanism for movingthe magazine.

Figure 22 is a diagrammatic view on a reduced scale showing the magazinein a position moved away from the lposition of Fig. 2l.

Figures 23 and 24 are detail views showing the cooperation of the frontcompartment and the rear compartments.

Figure 25 is a diagram of the electrical connections between the sensingdevices and the magazines.

Figures 26, 27 and 28 are part diagrammatic and part elevational viewsshowing the mechanism for controlling the cop holding flaps. p Figure 29isa detail view part sectional and part elevational showing theco-operation `of the sensing device and a cop compartment.

Figure 30 isl a detail elevational View of picking device.

In the various figures, the like reference numerals de-v note likeparts.

'Ihe loom, certain members of which are illustrated, is a two-shuttlelloom with automatic weft supply, which, in order to facilitate theexplanation, will be assumed to be equipped respectively with red andblack cops.

- The loom comprises four shuttle boxes numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4; theboxes 1 and 2 on the one side, and 3 and 4 on the other side, constitutetwo sets of boxes disposed respectively to left and right of the loom.The boxes 1 and 4 may receive the black shuttle for example, and theboxes 2 and 3 the red shuttle. In a manner known per se, the ends of theshuttle boxes are arranged in such a manner that the picking of eachshuttle can be effected by a picker stick which traverses the centreportion of the corresponding box and is in the axis of the shuttle, saidpicker stick pivoting about a horizontal axis perpendicular to thepivotal axis of the sley of the loom.

The loom is provided with two oop sensing devices acting in the boxes 1and 3 for the black cop and the red cop respectively, and with twocop-changing mechanisms acting inthe boxes 2 and 4 for the red shuttleand the black shuttle respectively. The cop sensing devices and thecop-changing mechanisms are not Iillustrated because they do not differfrom the members of this type hitherto known, and the constructionaldetailsof which vary ac, cordng to the preference of the designers.` l

A cop distributor magazine is provided (not illustrated) onA each sideof the loom. The cops n the left-hand magazine supply the red shuttlewhich is of the type shown in Figure 15, and those in the right-handmagazine supply the black shuttle which is of the type illustrated inFigure 16.

1 Theitwoboxes n eachset are mounted on a seating 5 which has aprojection 6 to which is fixed one end of a spring 8, the other end 9being fixed to a second projection 10 carried by a rack 11, which isthus connected to the seating 5 by means of a resilient coupling; thus,if the rack 1,1 is moved, it is possible to immobilize the seating 5lfor a certain length of time, relative displacement of said seating inrelation to the rack being rendered possible as a result of theresilient coupling. e

The rack 11 is in mesh with a toothed segment 12 pivoting at 13 on theaxis of the sleys 14 of the loom. The segment 12 is articulated to theend 15 of a rod 16, the other end 17 of which is mounted on a collar 18on the eccentric 19, rotating on shaft 20 of the sley 14. The eccentric19 is rigidly connected to a toothed wheel (not illustrated) and, as inthe known devices with alternating movement and stopping, is turnedthrough half a revolution each time it is necessary to change boxes.

Figures 1 to 4 show the position of the various members when the redshuttle is in operation; actually, the boxes 2 and 3 are opposite therace board 21; Figures l and 3 show that the boxes 1 and 2 are on bothsides of the plane of the comb or reed 22, while the boxes 3 and 4(Figure 4) are on the same and the far side of the reed 22.

When the black shuttle is to replace the red shuttle, the hub 19 turnshalf a revolution (Figure 5), the collar 18 turns in relation to the huband the rod 16 moves the segment 12 in the direction of the arrow 23;the rack 11 then moves towards the front of the loom with the support 5and the'set of yboxes 1 and 2. The support 5 is provided with a' bar 24in the' form of a spur which projects and passes freely between thesmall blocks and 26 which are mounted on the frame 44 of the loom(Figure l) and which form a movable stop, the function of which will beexplained below.

The blocks 25 and 26 are mounted parallel, the two blocks 25 being oneon each side of the axial plane of the block 26 (Figure 9); the edges 27and 28 of the blocks 25 and 26 are chamfered and can overlap when theblocks 25 and 26 are displaced transversely to bring them closertogether, as will be seen below. I

Thus under the action of the rod 1 6 and without the resilience of thecoupling having to benu'sed, the boxes' 1 and 2 occupy the positionshown in Figure 5 in which the sword' of the sley is not shown but onlythe axis 14 of the latter; since the same displacements take placeinversely to the right of the loom, the four boxes appear as seen inFigures 6 to 8; the boxes 1 and 4 are opposite the track 21, the boxes 1and 2 outside the' plane of the reed- 2'2 and the boxes 3 and 4l one oneach side of said plane. The black shuttle can therefore come into oper-311011;

In order to obtain a perfect ksta-bility of the boxes during the shuttlecourse, a locking device is provided foreach set of boxes. This devicecomprises a pin 29 cooperating with two notches 30 and 31, provided inthe support 5 and urged by a spring.32 which constantly tends to move itaway frorn asn'pport 33 on the sley 14, and hence to cause it to engagewith one or other of the notches 30`and Y e The pin 29 is controlled byal lever 35, pivoting at 36 on the sley 14, the pin being connected toone end 34 and can be displaced longitudinally in relation to said end34. A roller 37 is supported by theA other end of the lever 35 and rollson a fixed cam 38, the outline of which is selectedl in such a mannerthatthe pin 29 is engaged in one of the notches- 30 and 31 during theparti of the travel of the sley` which corresponds to the movement ofthe shuttle through theshed,tha`t is to say substantially while the sleyis passing from its central position to reach its rear deadcentre-position'andfreturn to its central position. I

Figure l shows the position of the` pin' whenthe set of boxes 1 and 2has been released. In spite of the opposing action of the spring 32, thepin 29 is held away from the support 5, because the end 34 of the lever35 is lowered by the roller 37 which has climbed the ramp 39 of the cam38. At this moment the sley is in its forward dead centre position. Asit passes towards its rear dead centre position, the sley passes throughits central position (Figure 10). The roller 37 now moves down the ramp39 so that, under the action of the spring 32, the pin 29 can enter thenotch 31. The `set of boxes 1 and 2 is again immobilised in relation tothe sley and the red shuttle can be picked.

When the sley continues its movement towards the rear of the loom andpasses beyond the position in Figure 10,' the roller 37 passes beyondthe ramp 39 but the pin 29 remains in the notch 31 as seen in Figure ll.

Figure l2 shows the locking of the set of boxes 1 and 2 when the sley isin its rear dead centre position and the black shuttle is in operation.The relative positions of the cam 38, the roller 37, and the pin 29 arethe same as in Figure 11 but the pin 29 is engaged in the notch 30.

The sets of boxes are therefor immobilized in relation to the sley whenthe latter passes from its centre position to its rear dead centreposition and returns to its centre position, that is to say during thepicking of the shuttles. On the other hand the sets of 4boxes arereleased when the sley passes from its centre position to its front deadcentre position and returns to its centre position.

In this case, as will be seen below, it is possible to hold one or otherset of boxes fixed in relation to the sley which is displaced when thereplacement of the cop and the arrangement of the weft require it.

Everything which has been said so far applies to the normal action ofthe shuttles. But when the cop of one of the shuttles is almost empty,the cop sensing device comes into action, which is normally provided inlooms of the type described and which, since it may be identical withthose which are therefor known, is not illustrated. In the followingexample, this sensing device is provided in the box 3 for the red cop;when said sensing device indicates that the red cop requires replacing,it normally controls the changing of the cop so that, in a manner knownper se, the removal of the empty cop and its replacement in the shuttleby a new cop, take place immediately after the red shuttle hasre-entered the box 2, when the sley is at its forward dead centreposition.

But, in the present case, when the shuttle has to be reloaded', thereare three possibilities:

(a) The shuttle in question, that is to say the red, being at the rightin the box 3, may continue its course without interruption, return tothe left and enter the box 2, be re-loaded there and return once moreinto the box 3 without having left the race board 21. This event occurswhen there is no change in the colour of the weft, in the two pickswhich follow the one corresponding to the reentry of the red shuttleinto the box 3, just before the sensing `device indicates that the redcop needs replacing.

(b) Or the red cop, being at the right in the box 3. returns to theleftinto the box 2, should be re-loaded there but has to surrender therace board to the black shuttle before returning to the right. In otherwords, there isv only one more `red kweft thread followed by at leastone black weft thread, after the one which corresponds to the return ofthe red shuttle into the box 3, just before the sensing device showsthat the red cop needs replacing. c

(c) Or the red shuttle, being at the right in the box 3. has tosurrender the race board to the black shuttle and therefor cannot returnimmediately to the left so as to be rer-loaded there. This event occurswhen a black weft thread has to follow immediately after the red weftthread which corresponds to the re-entry of the red shuttle into the box3, just before the sensing device finds that the red cop is going tohave to be replaced.

asuste In the iii-'st eventuality, the `change takes place, `in a mannerknownper se, exactly as'f'iftlie're was" vonlyoie shuttle, the red one,that is to say as if the black onedid not exist. l Y

"In the second eventuality, assoon as the red vshuttle has returned tothe left and re-entered the box 2, and while the sley continues itsmovement towards its front dead centre position, the set of boxes 1 and2 move towards the front of the loom to bring the box 1 in line with therace board 21. A change therefor takesplace from that illustrated inFigures 1 to 4, to that illustrated in Figures 5 to 8. If the movementof the boxes were to'talce place normally, as described above, when thesley reaches the front dead centre position, the set of boxes 1 andV 2would have completed substantially half its travel towards the front andthe box 2 would be in a too advanced position for the red cop to be ableto be replaced. This is why, according to the invention, a detent deviceis provided for each set of boxes, said device being brought into actionat the same time as the cop-changing mechanism. The detent devicecomprises the bar 24, mentioned above, and the movable stop 25-26 In theFigures 1 and 5, the stop 25-26 is inoperative. But, when the sensingdevice of the red cop brings the red cop-changing mechanism into actiona control member of some kind,`which is not illustrated, is brought intoaction when the butter which controls the cop-changing hammer has to bebrought into the operation position, brings the blocks 25 and 26 closertogether and brings them into the position in Figures 13 and 14, the tipof the bar 24 abutting against the chamfers 27 and 28 forming a notch.At the same time, two pivoted pawls 40 and 41 carried by the frame 44and constituting a locking device for the stop 25-26 a-re brought fromeach side of the blocks 25 and 26 and hold the latter in the operativeposition during the time neces` sary for the cop-changing. The set ofboxes 1` and 2 which are released in relation to the sley by the lockingof the pin 29, are fixed in relation to the frame 44, but the collar 18and the eccentric 19 continue their movement; they are illustrated inFigure 13 in the position which they occupy after a quarter of arevolution. The sley is then in its front dead centre position.

The spring 8 is stretched between the projections 6 and 10 which moveapart from one another. As soon as the cop has been changed and the sleyexecutes its return movement, and its displacement towards the rear deadcentre position, release studs, actuated by the sley and notillustrated, move the pawls 40 and 41 apart and restore them to theposition shown in Figures l and 5; under the action of the spring 8, thetip of the bar 24 separates the blocks 25 from the blocks 26, and theset of boxes 1 and 2 are released. The spring 8 being released rapidlymoves the projection 6 to its normal relative position in relation tothe projection 10, which position is the one illustrated in Figures land 5. The resilience of the coupling ceases to be utilized and the`movement of the boxes 1 and 2 continues and is completed normally,bringing the box 1 to the race board.

The strength of the spring t; is calculated so that the kinetic energyaccumulated during the immobilisation of the projection 6 by the stop25-26 is -suficient to enable the boxes 1 and 2 to travel their wholecourse in a time which is equal to the time of the travel which is leftto the toothed segment 12, that is to say a time substantially equal tothe diiierence between the normal time for the complete displacement,which is substantially equal to half the duration of the movement of thesley, and the time of immobilisation. Figure 17 shows diagrammaticallythe distances e travelled by the boxes 1 and 2 as a function of the timet. If the stop 25-26 is inoperative, it is the curve 42 which is usedwhereas if the stop 25-26 is brought into action, the displacement iseffected along the curve 43.

In the third eventuality, the box 3 has to .surrender the race board 21to the box 4. The displacement of the `'set of boxes 3 and 4 towards therear, or the displacement of the set of boxes 1 and 2 towards thefront,causes the red cop-changing mechanism, which is provided on the left-vhand side of the loom and which has already been brought into action, tobe held in suspense. Actually the red cop sensing device has broughtinto action the various movements intended to eifect the changing of thered cop, but these movements are not initiated and remain in suspense.Nevertheless, as soon as the speciied arrangement of the weft threadsrequires that the black shuttle should give way to the red shuttle, thatis to say that the box 3 should return to the race board 21, as Well astheI box 2, the movements of the red cop-changing mechanism are resumedat the point where they were held in suspense, that is to say that thefirst or the second eventuality is restored, depending on thearrangement of the weft. The red shuttle is re-loaded in the box 2, thestop 2526 having been brought into action or not depending on whetherthere have to be one or more red weft threads before the following blackweft threads.

The holding in suspense and the return to normal activity of thecop-changing movement are effected in the manner which is usual onautomatic fou-r-colour looms.

In Figures 18 and 19, the sley carries at each end a front compartment52 provided with vertical slides 53 in which a rear box, with fourcompartments 54 slides from top to bottom and vice versa under thecontrol of a rod 55 in turn controlled by a lever S6, which is connectedto a conventional box-controlling mechanism (not illustrated).

The horizontal movement given to the front compart- -ment moves thewhole of the compound box whilst the vertical movement only relates tothe rear compartment.

At the same time, the box or compartment 52 can be aligned with the reed22 or move forward so as to bring one of the four compartments 54 intoline with race board 21.

For this purpose, the compartment 52 is carried by two arms 51 centeredon the axis ofthe sley foot S7; the positioning of the unit 52-53-54 inrelation to the reed 22 is effected by means of a rod 58 connecting saidunit to a crank 59 which is actuated by rod 60 the end engaging withpivot 61 rigidly connected to a plate 62 which can occupy one or the`other of the positions illustrated in Figures 18 or 19. In Figure 18,the compartment 52 is at the reed, whereas in Figure 19, it is thesecond compartment in the rear box 54 which is at the race board.

Figures 18 and 19 also show two positions of'a fourcolour cop-magazine63.

lIn Figure 18, the channels 64 can eject a cop 65 (Figure 21) whichmoves down the loading mouth 66. The opening of this mouth should be invertical alignment with the front loading compartment 52 when this is atthe race board and comes into the vicinity of the upper dead centreposition (position in Figure 18). But if the bow is working on its rearcompartments, the loading mouth of the magazine should move aside andthe magazine then occupies the position illustrated in Figure 19. i

Figure 20 is a figure similar to Figure 2 showing the position of theshuttle boxes of Figures 18 and 19.

Figure 21 shows more clearly the magazine displacement mechanism. Saidmagazine 63 which is suspended from a iixed shaft 67, is controlled by apair of levers 68 and 69 articulated at 70, 71 and 72, the shaft 70being iixed. Under the action of a rod 73, the magazine assumes theposition illustrated in Figure 22.

The rod 73 itself receives its movement from an eccentric pivot 61 whichat the same time controls the horizontal movement of the unit 52-54.

The selection of the cops in the magazine 63 is effected by means yofflaps 74 and 74 (Figure 26). These aps permit the fall of a cop 65 bymoving towards the outside ofthe magazine. The movement of said liaps is-con- 7 trolled by a rocking lever 76 fixed at its centre 77 to the ap74 and 'controlled by rods 7S and 75.

The rod 75 is pulled towards the left each time the rear compartmentcorresponding to the row of cops is brought to the race board. Itreturns to the right if there is a change of compartment (colour). Therod 75 is dependent on the sensing device of the same rear compartmentat the race board. If the lsensing device shows that any of the cops areempty, an electro-magnet pulls the rod 75' towards the left and saidelectro-magnet remains energized until the cop is supplied to theshuttle.

The replacement of the cop will take place at the first turn of the loomwhen the proper shuttle is offered to the front compartment. Theelectro-magnet controls the change to be effected. The flaps 74 and 74are actuated by the rod 78 to move simultaneously and in `oppositedirections.

Figure 26 shows one channel of the magazine out of action. In Figure 27,the compartment at the race board is pulling the 'rod 75 towards theleft, the flaps 74 and 74 have slid through half their course, the copstill being held in its channel. In Figure 28, the sensing device hasdetected the exhaustion of the cop on the race board and theelectro-magnet has pulled the rod 75` towards the left. The rockinglever 76 and the aps 74 and 74 `are -at the end of their course, and thecop falls.

Figure 25 also shows diagrammatically electrical connections between thesensing devices and the magazines.

On each side of the loom, a sensing device 80 with an electro-magnet 81determines the condition of the rear compartment at the race board.

A conventional connection shown diagrammatically at 82 and 82 between agiven sensing device and the magazine situated on the opposite sideselects the colour t-o be supplied depending on the colour detected.

. The supply of a detected colour actually depends on the coincidence oftwo essentials:

(a) An empty colour detected.

(b) The presence at the race board of this same colour. Figure 30 showshow the picking of the shuttle is effected.

The picker stick 85 which is connected by a rod 86 through a pivot 87drives a tappet 38 sliding in guides 89 in line with the compartment atthe race board.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1B-30, the horizontal movement of theshuttle boxes is effected in the same manner as in the form in Figs. lto 17.

The mechanical embodiments are only given by way of example and may bereplaced by equivalent constructions, the various relative movementsremaining the same. Nevertheless, since the system is applicable to verydifferent looms, the constructional details should obviously be modifiedaccording to the circumstances.

What I claim is:

1. .A two-shuttle loom with automatic weft supply comprising two copsensing devices, two cop-changing mechanisms, a set of two shuttle boxeswith their driving members mounted on each side of the sley,characterised in that the two boxes in each group placed side by sideare designed in such a manner as to comprise a front compartment and oneor more rear compartments and in that on each side of the loom there isprovided at least 'one distributor member containing cops of a givencolour with which the corresponding cop-changing mechanism co-operatesin such a manner that when :a sensing device has indicated the need forrenewal, the replacement of the empty cop is effected when the shuttleassociated with the thread of the colour detected appears in the frontcompartment of the shuttle box opposite the feed orifice, said frontcompartment being in a position of alignment in relation to the reed.

2. A loom -as claimed in claim l, characterised in that each set ofshuttle boxes slides horizontally on slides fixed to the frame and inthat, during weaving pick and pick the two sets slide simultaneously andin opposite directions in such a manner that a rear compartment and afront compartment are always at the race board and that each of the twoshuttles is :always travelling between the front compartment in one setof boxes and the rear compartment in the other set.

3. A loom as claimed in claim l, characterised in that each set ofshuttle boxes is connected to its control mechanism by a resilientcoupling and that for each'box there is provided a locking device whichis actuated at the same time as the corresponding cop-changing mechanismand, when a driving member acts on its set of boxes to displace it andwhen the corresponding locking device is in action, permits a relativedisplacement of the set of boxes and of the driving member during onepart of the travel of the set of boxes which corresponds to the timeneeded for the replacement of the cop, the power of the resilientcoupling being determined in such a manner that during the aforesaidtime the accumulation of kinetic energy is suicient to enable thearrested set of boxes, when it is later released, to cover the whole ofits normal travel in a time substantially equal to the differencebetween the normal period of displacement, which is substantially equalto half the period of the movement of the sley, and the aforesaidimmobilization period.

4. A loom as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that each set of boxesis connected by at least one spring to the corresponding driving member.

5. A loom as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that the drivingmember, for each set of boxes, is a toothed segment pivoting in relationto the sley and rigidly connected to one end of a rod, the other end ofwhich is driven by an eccentric having the same pivotal axis as the sleyand set in rotation, in a manner known per se, each time it is necessaryto change the box, the toothed segment being in mesh with a rackconnected to the set of boxes.

6. A loom as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that a locking deviceis provided for each set of boxes, in the two positions which correspondto bringing each of the boxes opposite the race board.

7. A loom as claimed in claim l, characterised in that it comprises upto eight shuttles and more adapted to carry different colours and inthat it comprises on each side of the sley a compound box having acasing forming a single loading compartment sliding on guidessubstantially horizontal and rigidly connected to the sley and carriesvertical slides in which is disposed an upright box with a plurality ofcompartments.

8. A loom as claimed in clairn l, characterised in that it comprises atleast eight shuttles, carrying different colours and in that itcomprises on each side of the sley a compound box having a casingforming a single front compartment sliding on guides rigidly connectedto the sley and carries at the back vertical slides in which is disposedan upright box with a plurality of compartments.

9. A loom as claimed in claim 7 characterised in that an independentmechanism controls the vertical movements of the compartments of therear box and in that said vertical movements are independent of oneanother.

10. A loom as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that on each sidethere is provided a magazine for cops of various colours which magazinecan occupy two positions and in that an arrangement is provided wherebythe orifice of the loading mouth is in vertical alignment with the frontloading compartment when the latter is at the race board and comes intothe vicinity of the upper dead centre position while the magazineoccupies a position in which the loading mouth is moved aside when thebox is working on` its rear boxes.

11. A loom as claimed in claim l0 characterised in that the selection ofthe cops in the magazine takes place by means of flaps which permit thefall of one cop by moving towards the outside of the magazine and themovement of which is controlled by a rocking lever or another 12. A loomas claimed in claim 7, characterised in that member subject to theaction of two rods, in that each for the picking, the shuttles areactuated by a pusher which time that the rear compartment correspondingto the row enters the compartments axially.

of cops is brought to the race board, one of said rods is attracted andreturns if the compartment (colour) is 5 References Cited in the le 0fthis Pawnt changed and in that the other rod is subject to the sens-UNITED STATES PATENTS ing device of the same rear compartment at therace board in such a manner that if the feeler detects the exhaustiongrompon e; a; F16 b 2g of a cop, an electro-magnet acts on said latterrod while romp on e a une remaining locked until the cop is supplied tothe shuttle. 10 1817138 Gordon Aug' 4 1931

